Morris tribune., 1887-02-16
THE PRESIDENTIAL VETO.
Mr.. CLEVELAND DISAPPRoVES THE
DEPENDENT PENSION BILL.

Text OF the Message to the House object
ing to the Measure Comment on the
veto-The Committee Getting q Fortifi-
cation Bill Ready-Rspayment Of Di-
rect War Taxes.
WASHINGTON CITY, Feb. A.-As was ex.
pected by many who thought they knew the
mind of the executive, President Cleveland
sent to the house Friday message vetoing
the dependent pension bill The president
starts out by stating that the number of PEN
sions now is S65, IT'S, the amount of the ap-
priations this year $75, ,00U, 900, and the total
amount paid for pensions since 1871, $S0S,
Ga, 81. He then proceeds to examine the
bill, dsyoting the most Of his message to the
question what degree of inability to earn a
living shall constitute q valid claim for a
pension under the bill The person seeking a
penSio II must be incapacitated by mental or
physical disability from earning a support
and must be dependent on his daily labor for
support. This definition, the president says,
is srnbixguous, He thinks the support in
tended is entire support. Such support as a
man could earn whose faculties and physique
were in perfect health, and that it is not nee
esSary that a man should be perfect wreck
unable to do anything for himself-befors
he can claim a pension. He thinks also
that the labor Of discriminating between
what Is support and what is not will be
almost, Of not quite, insurmountable On
this general question he says:
The total inability" spoken Of must be
SUCH inability-thae is, the inability al.
ready described and constituted by the con-
ditions already detailed in the previous parts
Of the section. It thus becomes important
to consider the meaning and scope OF these
last mentioned conditions The mental and
physical disability spoken Of has a distinct
meaning in the practice Of the pension
bureau, and includes every impairment Of
bodily or mental strength and vigor. For
such disa bilitieS there are now l3l different
rates Of pension, ranging from 81 to 500 per
month. This disability must not be the re-
suit of the applicants vicious habits or
gross carelessness Practically this provis-
ion is not important. The attempt of the
government to escape the payment of a PEN
sion on such plea would, of course, in very
large majority of instances, and regardless
OF the merits OF the case, prove a failure.
There would be that strange but nearly uni
versal willingness to help the individual as
betHsen him and the public treasury, which
goes very far to insure a state of proof in
fayor Of the claimant.
AS to the meaning of the section Of the bill
under consideration there appears to have
been quite difference Of opinion among its
advocates in congress The chairman Of the
COMMITTEES onpensions in the house OF repre-
sentatives, who reported the bill, de-
clsres that there was in it no provision
disability than total disability to labor;
and that it was a charity measure. The |
Chairman of the committee on pensions In the |
senate, having charge OF the bill in that body,
disseut8d from the construction OF the bill |
announced in the house Of representatives, |
n -AnNy hat vrnf oFr9Hv all
soldiers totally disabled, but, in his judg- |
ment, all who are disabled to any consider |
able extent, and such construction was SUBJ |
stan TALLY given to the bill by another dis |
tinguished senator, who, as former secre- |
tary of the interior, had imposed upon him |
the duty of execut ing pension laws and de- |
termining their intent and meaning.
The president remarks that the soldiers Of |
the republic have received in pay and bounty |
such compensatlonS as never before was |
given soldiers OF any nation, refers to other |
advanta ages they have and adds:
] can not believe that the vast, peaceful /
army OF Union soldiers, who, having con-
tentedly resumed their places in the ordinary
avocations Of life, cherish as sacred the |
memory of patriotic service, or who, having
been disabled by the casualties of war,
justly gard the present pension roll, on
which appear the ir names, as roll of honor,
desire at this time and in the present sxigency
to be confronted with those who, through
such bill as this, are willing to be objects Of
simple charity, and to gain a place upon the
pension roll through alleged dependence
He says the bill looks to him like one that
viii put premium on dishonesty and crowd
he pension rolls with those who have no
scruples against becoming un-
sble to earn living when there is an ap-
portunity to obtain it without work, refers
20 the general unreliability of estimates"
n the number of persons likely to be affected
oy pension bill, and closes as follows:
The evil threatened by the bill, is in my
opinion such, that, charged with great re-
possibility in behalf of the people, can not
10 otherwise then to bring to the consdera-
don of this measure my best efforts of
hought and Judgment, and perform my
duty in relation thereto, re-
yardless Of all consequences, except such as
appear to me to be related to the best and
highest interests Of the country